Dragoncrest Cliffs siwo myèl

can be RO or replies, just tags for all thats going on! <3

@Lucette. @Lafayette. @Shadess. @Jadou.
their names were talismanic to her.
@Val's attentive presence continued, appreciated by warm flickers of her emerald eyes in his direction. @Chacal went on in her blossoming, lovely as moonbeam upon coralflowers. on infrequent forays from her densite, she spotted @Svalinn's new proud stride, and was bemused by it, pleased by it in some way.
the mossy half-trunk amid the brambles of the tangle continued to be a site of frequent related visitors, and often mireille was given many opportunities to sleep, often with little lucette tucked the closest to her for additional watchover and ministration.
more left sapphique. she sent with theo and ravin her well-wishes. sobeille and chani were often invited to visit, along with @Thibault and @Astera.
so restorative, those early springtime naps in the faded light or wavering grey of a softly misted downpour.
from time to time she found herself shoulder alongside shoulder with maleah, watching over the children and speaking quietly of one thing or another. it was to the healer that she also gave her concerns about the ailing pup.
her worry for baby lucette grew as the days went on, even after the twins' eyes opened. and now a frown crossed her brow, a shadow which only dissipated under the sunglow of her love. she began to sing to them.

swoops in

sapphique bloomed with new life. some left, others came, and either way they persevered.
maleah bounced often between the sisters' dens, bringing offerings of herbs and teas to chacal while returning to assist mireille with her own babes when needed. val's added help was always welcomed. she invited the elder children of the cliffs to watch and perhaps even help her, if it interested them.
she sits beside mireille now in their downtime, observing the ailing daughter with worried, pale eyes. she would be okay, surely; she had to be.
she too finds comfort in the lilting tone of the obsidian's voice.

"she doesnae move as often as the others," mireille observed, "or at least she didnae. at first." worry scoured her throat. "i wonder, should we ask a midwife to come here?" 
she did not want to insult maleah, but mireille would rather mitigate that than forego a second opinion which might preserve the health of lucette.
suddenly, sharply, she wished her mothers were with her, and the obsidian's eyes misted.

if that's what you think would be best, instead of feeling offended, maleah mirrors the sentiment with a glower of sadness at the sluggish seababe. has she been eating enough, do you think? maybe she has trouble latching, and isn't getting enough nutrition.
but the healer did not want to pry where she wasn't wanted — she would not perform an exam unless it was at mireille's request, and for now, the mother seemed to need comfort more than anything else. she watches the tears form in her "friend's" eyes, and her chest tightens.
you are an excellent maman, mir, she reaches for a cinnamon paw, dainty palms connected in commiseration. li pral oke, yeah?

"she is just — so small. she turns her head away," mireille said, frustrated by her inability to express the worry she felt in all the small places of her heart.
the sound of their mother-tongue in maleah's tones turned her head quickly, with surprise, with interest, and finally with a warmth that blossomed in her chest. a smile unfurled across her scarlet features, genuine even if it did not reach her eyes.
she held onto maleah for a moment, grateful. so grateful. "i try," mireille murmured, unsteady in her own abilities despite the fact that there were things only the ocean knew.

the best thing you can do for her right now is to keep her warm, and keep her fed. maybe we'll have to figure out a way to-- well, to put it frankly, force feed her, the healer's lip curls as she gently begins to nudge the squalling pup, pressing a palm against the ball of brimstone. she feels warm enough to me. that's a good sign.
for a moment, maleah is thankful she does not have her own children to worry about. the fear in mireille's eyes would be enough to tug at the heartstrings of any woman.
but she is thankful to see the brightness of her smile, even through the broken and rather embarrassing accent maleah held would likely earn a playful eye roll or polite correction any other time. you're doing your best. that's all you can do. sometimes these things just happen, and it happens to people who don't deserve it. but it's not your fault.
the sudden closeness earns a sheepish gasp from the gemstone woman, a lump swelling in her throat. she does not say anything as her body stills, and slowly, awkwardly, she shifts a forearm in order to wrap it around the amber-dusted shoulder.

and mireille allowed this, welcomed it. she stared at lucette, then gathered the delicate little babe closer. she could not remember if her mothers had ever lost children, or if they had simply been buried in the graveyard that occupied a piece of the rearing stony seacliffs.
"we will take turns feeding her t'en," she decided, drawing strength from maleah's confidence in her mothering skills. "'she will have no choice but to t'rive," mireille said warmly, pressing her cheek to that of the other woman for a moment before she began to settle the four children at her belly for another meal.

i will help however i can.
circumstances such as this were difficult, very much so; the future of this daughter uncertain. there was never a guarantee.
but there is the warmth of mireille's breath against her cheek and the quiet intimacy of sharing space in this den, and it makes maleah think that everything will be okay. she hopes mireille feels it too.
as the babes are readjusted, the space between the two women deepens. the healer moves to leave, albeit hesitantly, allowing the mother space to be alone with her children if she wished.

but when mireille glanced up, it was to invite maleah to stay, albeit wordlessly.
women of the sea drew power from one another, and her bond with the healer had become much the same.
she passed her tongue over the quartet of tiny heads and fell into a soft doze.